Stressing about medical mess

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Stressing about medical mess
7
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 2:17am
Hi, all. Well, my cc would have been paid off by now if it werent for the medical bills. Here's what I had to do: $800+ on the one hospital bill to cc. Why? Insurance wouldnt pay any more, it has been 6 months, and they wanted the full amount. 2) $500+ for dental (so far) to the cc. 3)$350 vet bill. These medical bills are killing it for me. Am looking into supplemental dental, as it would be cheaper than what I have. I SOO want to just put ALL of the medical bills on the cc and be done with it, so I wont have them on my back, and negate my credit rating. So, what I have been doing is putting the medical bills on the cc, and then paying the cc what I can--about $500/month. Any other ideas to get out of this quicker? WHiz.
Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 02-17-2006 - 9:14am

Whiz - do you have ongoing medical issues, or did something happen in the past, and now you're paying things off?

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 12:56am
Hi, Danni. Thanks for your input. After 6 months of vigilant phone calls, letters, e-mails, etc. the ins. finally paid on the two hospital bills. Not much. Only $500. SO, that left about $800 each (not including x-rays, lab tests, etc.). The bill I got said "demand bill" pay in full. Keep in mind I already paid them $300 a few months ago. So, to get them off my back, I put the $800 on the cc. The SECOND bill---I am negotiating to set up payments. Never mind that it is also $800. The ins. co wanted more information. I honestly dont know what else they could send that they havent already. The problem stems from this being out-of-state, and ER which is more $$. I dont want to ruin my credit by having these outstanding bills for months on end. What is maddening is that my DM is saying I should just pay these and get it done. Something about "reputations" in a small town. Truly, I have NEVER gone thru this with an insurance company. Usually, if there is a denial, they send the letter, and that's it. By the time I get the final bill, it is way past due, and they want full payment. Example: lab bill that took almost a year to pay on. By the time the runaround came, it was labelled as "delinquent" even though the insurance company never replied, etc. That is why I am looking at supplemental ins. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-22-1999
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 8:48am

Hi, Whiz,

Just wanted to say that I think it's such a ripoff that the insurance Co. wouldn't pay for the out of state medical costs. If it is a matter of sending more info, do send it to them even if it is repetitive. Insurance is a game, and you just have to keep following the rules and instructions and exhaust all avenues before giving up and paying for ir yourself. Be sure you have all the details of your plan so you know exactly what to expect them to pay, and do not forget you can complain to your state's department of insurance. Maybe at some point you will get the money you are charging back.....It is such a bummer to have to add medical debt to the load!

Best wishes,
Littlesbigs

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 1:44pm
Is your insurance through an employer? Perhaps you could get someone from your HR involved or your company's insurance broker if that is the case. My employer uses a guy from out of state but he pops in once a year to see us and usually buys us lunch he asks for any comments or concerns about our insurance and gives everyone his card again so if anything happens we can call and he can help us with the insurance. He is always available to us by phone or email to answer questions relating to our plan especially if we can't resolve it with the insurance ourselves. A coworker had a workers comp situation that went unresolved after she sent paperwork. Being a naturalized citizen she was afraid or insurance and creditors demanding payment but people told her not to pay but keep fighting it and when the insurance broker got involved it got resolved.
Pam

Proud sister of a Marine:

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 2:06pm
Hi, Pam & LB--Thanks for the tips. l)There is only one insurance, thru work. It is like "Whizzy Wiggets" company has "Whizzy Wiggets" insurance. No well-known names, like Cigna, Aetna, Delta Dental, BC/BS, etc. There is a small discount if we use local docs, of course. But, it's still the same waiting game. The puzzlement is the corporate decision makers. The claims dept. is organized, etc., but they have the same problem--waiting for "approval" or denial. It doesnt seem to matter if it is a local lab test done two weeks ago, or an x-ray done 7 months ago. The results are the same. It's like a big, black hole that everything goes into. How do I find this insurance broker? Corporate doesnt respond, or they refer everything back to claims. I will definitely keep at it, and look for additional insurance. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2006
Sat, 02-18-2006 - 9:39pm
I understand what you mean, my mom works for a hospital and they kind of had the same thing, their own insurance company set up for employees and of course if you used the hospital's network of doctors things were easiest. They dropped me ever semester while I was a student and my mom would always have to fight with them to pay claims because they dropped me even though we'd sent paper work proving I was enrolled in school. They still took the money from my mom for a dependent on her insurance but wouldn't pay claims. Mom would end up paying my medical stuff up front and getting re-imbursed for it later, but she had to go through her human resources at times to get resolution or go round and round with the insurance company. I would speak to your human resources department and see if someone there can help you. The HR director should be involved and know the problems you are having with the insurance because if it isn't working for you, it is probably not working for others and that could become a big problem if too many employees get upset and leave over the insurance they offer.

Proud sister of a Marine:

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Sun, 02-19-2006 - 12:23am
Hi, and thanks for sharing your experience. I do plan to let the HR folks know of this mess (again). I am going to sit down and figure out how much $$$ I am "wasting" for this insurance (what i pay monthly) and see if I can get a better deal. Thanks. Whiz.